Form retaining garment



FIG.3.

' INVENTOR. JOHN W. TUNKEL ATTORNEYS v Nov. 17, 1942. J. w. TUNKEL FORM RETAINING GARMENT Filed Dec. 2, 1940 FIG. I

WW-w Patented Nov. 17, 1942 FORM RETAINING GARMENT John W. Tunkel, Dearborn, Mich., assignor to American Lady Corset Company,

Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 2, 1940', Serial No. 368,267

Claims.

projections beyond the surface of the fabric of the elastic section.

The invention has for another object to provide an article in which its sections are machine stitched to each other in a manner to substantially eliminate cutting the elastic strands, or at least greatly decrease liability of cutting the elastic strands.

The invention has for a further object to provide an article having its sections so connected that when the elastic section is subjected to stresses the stresses are distributed over the elastic section.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a form retaining garment embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of a portion thereof;

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the garment works.

In general, the article embodying my inven tion is formed of sections at least one of which is elastic. The article to which my invention is particularly applicable is a form retaining garment, such as a girdle, having at least one elastic section which is machine stitched to another section. As illustrated, the girdle is formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending sections comprising front, rear and side sections. The front and rear sections are non-elastic sections, while the side sections are elastic sections. These sections are formed in the usual manner, the front and rear sections being of suitable fabric material and the side sections being a combination of fabric covered elastic strands 3 and fabric 4, The elastic sections are stretchable laterally of the' girdle, the elastic strands extending generally transversely of the adjacent edges of the front and rear sections. Only one non-elastic section, the front section I, is shown while both side elastic sections 2 are shown.

To avoid marring the appearance of the girdle and, more particularly, the elastic sections by reason of the elastic strands working loose and presenting objectionable and unsightly projections beyond the surface of the elastic sections, each elastic section is secured to each adjacent non-elastic section by means of the machine stitching 5 and the machine stitching 6 along the adjacent edge portions of the sections. The machine stitching Sis in the nature of a series of connected substantially parallel loops which extend generally transversely from the edge of the non-elastic section, the front section I as shown, to a zone of the elastic section 2 spaced from the edge. This particular stitching is performed on a fancy stitch machine using a ball point needle which tends to laterally displace-the material through which it passes. This is particularly desirable with respect to the elastic section and especially the elastic strands of the elastic section since cutting of the elastic strands is substantially eliminated, or at least the liability of cutting the elastic strands is greatly decreased. The machine stitching 6, in addition to passing through the front section I and the elastic section 2, passes through the binding tape 1 which covers the adjacent edges of the front and rear elastic sections. Other machine stitching 8 secures the other edge of the binding tape to the section I In securing the adjacent sections to each other the fabric and elastic sections are superposed and passed as a unit through the fancy stitch machine using a ball point needle and making a stitch consisting of a series of connected loops which loosely secure the two sections together. The sections upon removal from the sewing machine are then pulled apart a distance governed by the length of the loops and the binding tape is then placed in proper position over the edges of the sections and the assembly passed through a machine for making the stitches 6 and 8. As a result, the loops of the stitching 5 extend generally transversely from the adjacent edge of the section I and pass through the elastic section 2 in a zone spaced from the free edge of the nonelastic section I and between the elastic strands in substantially all cases.

- When the girdle is subjected to use and the elastic sections are stretched, the stresses to which each elastic section is subjected are distributed thereover by reason of the loops of the stitching 5. Referring to Figure 3 and assuming that the elastic section 2 is subjected to stresses, the greatest of which is in the zone 9, it will be noted that the loop leading to the zone 9 and also the adjacent loops have become elongated to distribute the stress. The elongation is per mitted by the straightening and possible stretching of the loops and also by the possible shortening of the adjacent loops which are not subjected to as great initial stress. In actual practice, the stitching 5 is subjected to nearly all the tensile load placed upon the elastic section 2 when the garment is used so that the stitching 6 carries but very little of the tensile load. As a result, if the stitching 6 should cut any of the rubber strands of the elastic section the cut ends of the rubber strands under tensile load will move but very little and to such an extent that they will never be exposed. It is apparent that by reason of the stitching 5 distributing the stresses over the elastic section if an elastic strand were cut and the greatest stress were in the zone of thecut end of this elastic strand, pulling out of the cut end is avoided by reason of the distribution of the stresses to the adjacent loops of the stitching 5. 7

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A form retaining garment, comprising laterally adjacent sections, one of said sections having elastic strands stretchable in a direction away from the adjacent section, and means for securing said sections to each other extending through said section having the elastic strands in a zone spaced generally transversely from the adjacent edge of said adjacent section and laterally beyond the latter.

2. A form retaining garment, comprising a section, a laterally adjacent stretchable section having elastic strands extending generally transversely of the adjacent edge of said first mentioned section, and stitching securing said sections to each other extending through said stretchable section in a zone spaced generally transversely from the adjacent edge of and laterally beyond said first mentioned section.

3. In an article, section, a laterally adjacent stretchable section having elastic strands stretchable in a direction away from said first-mentioned section, and stitching securing said sections to each other extending through said sections in zones spaced from each other in the direction of stretch of said strands, said stitching extending through said stretchable section between said elastic strands.

4. In an article, a section, a laterally adjacent stretchable section overlapping said first-mentioned section and having elastic strands extending generally transversely of the adjacent edge of said first-mentioned section, stitching for securing said sections to each other spaced from the adjacent edge of said first-mentioned section, and other stitching for securing said sections to each other having loops extending from said first-mentioned section in the direction of said elastic strands through said stretchable section in a zone spaced from said first-mentioned stitching in the direction of said elastic strands.

5. In the method of securing two sections to each other with one of the sections having elastic strands, the superposing of one section on the other with the elastic strands of the one section extending generally transversely of the adjacent edge of the other section, the stitching of the sections to each other in a direction transversely of said elastic strands with a series of connected loops of greater length than the combined thickness of the sections, the pulling apart of the sections to laterally adjacent positions in the direction of said elastic strands a distance governed by the lengths of the loops, and then the stitching of the sections to each other in a direction transversely of said elastic strands and in a zone spaced from the zone of connection of the loops with the section having elastic strands.

JOHN W. TUNKEL. 

